2012 graduation rate for Incline High increases 1 percent

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INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The graduation rate for Incline High School increased 1 percent in 2012, despite a decrease in the same amount for the Washoe County School District as a whole, officials announced Monday.

Incline High School’s graduation rate was at 77 percent for 2012, up from 76 percent a year ago, according to statistics provided by the school district. This year’s rate is 2 percent higher than the 75 percent mark in 2010, meaning Incline High is above the 75 percent all-schools goal outlined in “Envision WCSD 2015” — the school district’s five-year strategic plan initiated two years ago by former superintendent Heath Morrison.

The data represent the four-year cohort rate, which calculates the graduation rate based on students who started ninth grade in 2008-09 and graduated four years later.

Despite the rise at Lake Tahoe, the rate for the entire district dipped to 69 percent in 2012, down from 70 percent in 2011. The decrease comes after marked improvement district-wide; according to previous reports, the WCSD graduation rate climbed from 56 percent for the class of 2009 to 70 percent for 2011.

In the class of 2011, according to the district, 3,114 students graduated out of 4,455. In the class of 2012, meanwhile, 3,117 students graduated out of 4,509.

“We are making strong efforts to help every student graduate, and, as we continue on this path, we know there will be ups and downs,” said Superintendent Pedro Martinez in a Monday statement. “Our goal is to help all students graduate from high school, ready for college and highly-skilled careers. We have also pledged to be transparent with the community and to have crucial conversations about what further efforts will be necessary to accomplish that goal. It will take years of work by all of us — the District, our community, and our state — to confront these challenges and succeed.”

According to a WCSD press release, Martinez said there is reason for optimism, considering the number of students who graduated with honors and advanced diplomas increased over last year.

Student populations that saw increases in their graduation rate this year include American Indian, Asian, Hispanic/Latino and White. Also seeing increases were students learning English as a second language, students enrolled in special education programs or who need extra support to succeed and students who qualify for free and reduced lunch programs. The latter group’s increase is a success, according to the district, due to many of those students once being considered at-risk.

Still, Martinez also acknowledged many challenges remain. Graduation rates fell for some populations, including Black, Pacific Islander and Multiracial students, while rates fell at several high schools that had seen gains in the past.

“This is about breaking barriers that are standing in our way,” Martinez said in a statement. “Everyone has worked very hard to achieve the results we’ve seen so far, but we need to adopt more sophisticated and advanced approaches to achieve further, meaningful successes for our students. We have our work cut out for us, and we are ready for the challenge.”